In recent years, laser engraving technology to form a pattern on a surface using a laser is spreading in the fields such as flexographic printing, dry offset, and embossing. According to the technology, a resin in a portion irradiated with a laser is melted or removed by decomposition to form a relief pattern.
Laser engraving of a rubber material has conventionally been performed. However, there was a case where powdered debris fused to the edge of a laser engraved pattern and it could not be removed completely. In such a case, the quality of the resulting printed matter was not satisfactory in that the part to which the debris was adhered was printed in the printing step.
Afterwards, a material obtained by photocuring a photosensitive resin was developed, and improvement in printing quality has been observed. For example, Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent No. 2846954) describes a composition in which polymerizable monomers and a reinforcing material such as carbon black are added in a thermoplastic elastomer material.
Further, Patent Document 2 (Japanese Patent No. 3801592) describes a material obtained by photocuring a liquid photosensitive resin containing inorganic porous particles. This patent document describes obtaining a printing element using the material and a method of applying laser engraving to the printing element. This patent document also describes that the efficiency in removing liquid debris generated during laser engraving is improved by adding an inorganic porous material.
Further, Patent Document 3 (National Publication of International Patent Application No. 2004-533343) describes a composition comprising a photosensitive resin using a thermoplastic elastomer as a main raw material and a filler having a particle diameter of from 1 to 400 nm.    [Patent document 1] Japanese Patent No. 2846954    [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent No. 3801592    [Patent Document 3] National Publication of International Patent Application No. 2004-533343